F1 United States GP: Race week begins in Austin with Mercedes eyeing title
Circuit of the Americas hosts sprint weekend from 23 to 25 October. Antonelli holds a 102-point lead over Russell.
Race week arrives in the Lone Star State
The Formula 1 paddock begins its trek across the Atlantic as race week officially opens for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Track action gets underway in five days on Friday 23 October with Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying, followed by the Sprint race and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, and the 56-lap Grand Prix on Sunday 25 October at 15:00 local time.
The 5.513-kilometer circuit features 20 turns, including the steep uphill charge into Turn 1 that has become one of motorsport’s iconic opening lap spectacles. High tire degradation and severe bumpiness across the tarmac will test team setups under the revised 2026 technical regulations.
Championship permutations at COTA
Kimi Antonelli enters Austin in command of the drivers’ championship with 340 points, holding a 102-point buffer over Mercedes teammate George Russell (238 points). Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits third on 221 points after his lights-to-flag victory in Singapore.
In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes sit on 578 points and could mathematically seal the crown in Austin if they outscore Ferrari (444 points) by 14 points across the weekend. With 34 maximum points available across the Sprint and Grand Prix, the Silver Arrows have their first match point in Texas.
Sources
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